WHEN EARTH ROCKS

Dominion, Volume 24, Issue 240, 7 July 1931, Page 8

WHEN EARTH ROCKS

Big Shakes Relatively Puny QUIVERING CRUST “There Is a natural tendency for humanity to exaggerate the importance of an earthquake in its relation to the earth, or to cosmic forces In general,” stated Dr. P. Marshall, Government Geologist, in a lecture last evening to the Wellington Philosophical Society. He said that when considered with reference to the earth’s size all the movements of an earthquake were Insignificant It was the comparatively puny size and frail strength of man and his structures that made earthquakes seem so violent and destructive. Investigation of the structure of all lands afforded convincing proof that earthquakes of great severity and considerable frequency had occurred over a period of 500 million years at least. No country bad been exempt. Before the forces of air and water were understood, and when buildings were small and simple, the phenomena of earthquakes must have been less appalling than those of thunderstorms or floods. Earthquakes had been ascribed to the anger of a diety, and naturally actual physical observations had not been made. It was known that Grecian and Roman temples had been overthrown by earthquakes, and there had been earth convulsions in China and Japan between 1500. and 2000 years ago. The Lisbon .earthquake of 1705 was the first for which records of some accuracy were available, said Dr. Marshall. About 40,000 lives were lost. Of all European localities, the country around the Straits of Messina had probably suffered most from earthquakes. South America had many experiences, and at times the sea wave generated by' the shakes in this part.of the world had come as far as New Zealand. The lecturer gave detail# of upheavals in various parts' of the world. The earliest in New Zealand of which something was known, occurred In 1823. The sealers in Dusky Sound had been greatly disturbed, and the coastline in this vicinity was changed. In 1543 a considerable shock occurred at Wanganui. and in 1848 a severe shock had been felt from Wanganui to Marlborough. Three lives had been lost in Wellington. On January 23, 1855, a shock of great severity had raised Wellington Heads and the harbour for six feet. At the eastern foot of the Riinutnkas and the Tararuas a line of movement 100 miles long had been noted. . Several more recent shakes were mentioned by Dr. Marshall, who concluded by remarking that history showed that it was usual for long intervals of quietude to follow destructive earthquakes.